Filing-cabinet



' w'. H. LsoN.

FILING CABINET.

W.l H. OLSON.

FILING CABINET. APPLICATIONHLED SEPT261 1919 1,334,71 2. Patented Mar. 23, 1920.

"INVENTUM WILLIAM n, Orson. or @aannemen Massaonnsnrrs.

FILING-CABINET.

anemia.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 23, 1920.

Application filed September 26, `1919. Serial No. 326,448.

To all whom may] concern:

Be it known that I, Viiiimiiii I'I. "OLSON, a subject o f the Kinn' of Sweden, residing at nGreenfield, county of Franklin, State of lilassachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Filing-Cabinets, of which the following is a specification, reference beine; had therein to the accompanyingdrawings.

rThe invention relates to an improvement in filing cabinets. `The object ofthe invention is to provide a filing cabinet having a plurality of drawers, and having automatic nieans for mechanically opening' any one of the drawers desired.

The invention consists substantially in. providing` a lock for the opening' mechanism, means for releasing* the loch, a moyable indicator which can be adjusted to indicate visually the particular drawer that it is desired 'to open, and means wherebythe drawer opening` mechanism is adjusted simultaneously with the indicator so that by simply releasing' the loclr the desired drawer will be automatically opened.

The invention is especially intended for application to a abinet for filingu records for victrolas and the like. The invention, however.` is not limited to use in connection with, a cabinet for filing recordsof that character, but it is obvious that it is adapted for application to a filing; cabinet for papers. tools `or any other articles desired, the respective drawers beine; of suitable forni to be adapted to the particular articles which the. cabinet is to contain.

The `intention will be fully understood frein the following` description when taken :in conneetion with the' arconipanyine1 drawinns-3, and the novel features thereof will be pointed out and clearly defined in the claims at the close of this specification.

In the drawings, Figure 'l is a front elevation, inirtly `broken away, of a cabinet embodying' the invention, showingl the door partially open.

'l Q a plan view. lilo. i3 is a sideelevation. y

-lf is a section on line il-ll of Fig.

hip", 5 is a. section on line of Fig. 3.

lleibrring now to the drawings. 1 represents the easing of a cabinet which is pro- .'ided with a compartment 2 containing a plurality of slide drawers mounted one above the other `and slidable on the slide cleats il.

i the other of the feed screw.

These drawers are readily movable in and out when the cabinet door is open. The cabinet is proif'ided with a door 5 to close the front of the drawer compartment. When the cabinet is used for tiling' records, the slides may be made up of skeleton forni,

'as shown in Fig. 2, and preferably each slide has provided a. lvertical upwardly extending pin G in the middle of the slide to fit the hole in the record, so as to hold the record from sliding around in the drawer. Preferably, the different drawers or slides are numbered consecutively in some conspicuous place, preferably on the front of the drawer, as shown in Fig'. l in which, beginning; at the top, they are numbered from l to 12.

At one side of the compartment 2, there is another compartment 7 for inclosino some of the operating mechanism. A vertical rocker shaft S is journaled in suitable bearings in the top bracket 9 and bottom bracket 10, which are respectively secured to the inside` of the top and bottom of the casing. The roelier shaft 8 is non-circular, preferably square in cross-section, except at its journal ends.

A feed screw 1l is journaled at top and bottom in suitable bearings, being shown as journaled in bearings in the top` and bottom brackets Q and l() which support the rocker shaft 8. Mounted on the feed screw ll is a follower 1:2 which is tapped out to correspond with the threads on the feed screw and which is moved up or down inl accordance with the rotation in one direction or This follower provided with an arm 1B which at its outer end is bifurcated forming two ears le-llt. Each of these ears is formed with a circular aperture l5 extending vertically therethrough. These apertures forni bearings for cylindrical slide blocks 1G. which are rotatable within said apertures and which are each formed with a non-circular opening corresifiondingx in contour with the cross-sectional contour of the non-circular rocker shaft S. Theftv have a sliding' fit over said rocher shaft so that they may slide on said rocker shaft, and by reason. of their corresponding contour they are rotatable with said rocker shaft.

` Mounted loosely on said rocker shaft between the ears 'la ill is a lever 17, the pivot end lfl of said lever being?,` formed with a noireircular opening` through which the shaft 8 loosely passes. so that the lever 17 can slide up and down with the follower' arm 13, but by reason of the non-circular form of the journal opening through which the shaft passes, said lever will rock in a horizontal plaire when the shaft rocks. The slide blocks 16-16 are each formed with aflange 19 which respectively bear against the upper and under sides of the head of the lever to form washers and also to prevent the said slide' blocks from slipping` out of the ears. The lever 17 extendstransversely of the drawers 3 just at the rear. l

Journaled in the bearing 20 mounted 1n the side wz ll of the casing is a shaft 21, the inner end of which carries a beveled gear wheel 22, which meshes with a bevel gear 23 on the upper end of the feed screw 11. On the shaft 21 outside of the case,

there is mounted a handle 24 which is pref.- erably in the form of a knurled wheel, whereby said shaft 21 may be rotated. When the shaft 21 is rotated in one direc tion by said handle, namely in clockwise direction, as shown in the drawings, the rotionary support.

tation of the beveled gears 22 and 23 will besuch as to rotatethe feed screw 11 in a direction to cause the descent of the follower 12 and thereby to cause the descent of kthe lever 17. Then the wheel handle 24 Vis rotated in the reverse direction, it will cause the feed screw to also rotate in the reverse direetionand to cause the ascent of the follower 12 andthe lever 17.

A coiledY spring 25 is coiled around the rocker shaft 8 near its lower end, one end of said spring being made fast to the shaft and the other endbeing made fast to a sta- As shown in the drawings, thel stationary end of the spring is fastened to a pin 26 rising from the bracket 10 in which is journaled the lower end of the rocker shaft. This spring is under tension andV tends to relax, in doing which it will rotate the shaft 8 in a direction to throw the lever 17 forward into the dotvand-dash line position shown in F ig. 2.

The said shaft, however, is normally held against yielding` to the tension of the spring by means of a latch at its upp r end. This latch, as shown, consists of a hook member 28 which engages with a pin 27: which projects laterally from the rocker shaft, the

Vcatch 28 being mounted on the lower end of a vertical slide pin 29, which slides in vertical bearings and projects up through the top of the case 1. A spring 3() normally retains the slide pin in its uppermost position to hold the catch 28 in locking position withrelation to the latch pin 27. When the slide pin 29 is depressed it releases the hook 31 of the catch 28 from the latch pin 27 so that the rocker shaft 8 is free to respond to the stress of the spring 25. Preferably, the slide pin 29 is provided with a cap 32 which extends up through a housing 33 on the top of the case 1, and forms a linger-piece for engagement by the finger in depressing the slide pin.

lVhen the rocker shaft 8 rocks in response to the stress of the spring as already dcscribed, the lever 17 is swung fornf'ard with a sharp stroke and if at the time of the stroke it is directly behind one of the drawers 3, it will throw the drawer forward a suiiicient distance into the dot-anddash line position shown in Fig. 3 to open it ont in a convenient position for the contents of the drawer to be extracted.

Means are provided whereby when the case is closed except for the front door, there may be easily determined by an indicator exposed on the outside just when, in the turning of the operating wheel 24, the ejector lever 17 will be brought into operative position with relation to the particular drawer that it is desired to open.

A rotary index wheel 3l is mounted on a shaft 35 and has a gear connection with the operating shaft 21, the gear connection shown being by means of a spur gear 3G carried by the index wheel 34- and a pinion 37 mounted on the operating shaft 21 which engages with said gear 36.

The periphery of the index wheel 34 has marked thereon a series of numbers from one upward corresponding in number with the numbers on the drawers 3 and spaced apart from each other. The gear for actuating the index wheel is so proportioned with relation to thc mechanism which opcrates the feed screw that for each interval between the numbers on the index wheel, the ejector lever 17 will be raised or lowered a. distance equal to the vertical distance between the middle of the back of one of the drawers and the middle of the next adjacent drawer above or below. In the top of the case 1 is a sight opening 38 having a glass cover 39 directly over the top of the index wheel. The numbers on the index wheel are so disposed that whenever a particular number is displayed through the sight opening the ejector lever 17 will be directl).v behind the correspond ingly numbered drawer. If the slide pin 29 is then depressed by the linger, it will release the hook 31 of the catch 28 from the latch pin 27, thereby allowing the rocker shaft 8 to respond to the stress of the spring 25 and thereby the ejector lever 17 will en gage the back side of the drawer corresponding to the number indicated on the index wheel and thrust it open. For instance, if it is desired to open the drawer numbered 7, the operating wheel 24 will be r= tated until the ligure 7 is disclosed through the sight opening, as shown in Fi. 2, then the slide pin will be depressed by pushing down cn `the cap 32 of the slide pin ll (l `Lacan' 1e will have carried the slide pin upward after the downward pressure has been released at the time the drawer was opened. rllhe end ott' the hook 3l is inclined so as to 'form a cam face 40 which permits the latch pin 2T to ride over it andthereby to depress the catch until the pin 27 swings into the throat of the hook, whereupon the spring 30 will carry the slide pin upward again `and hold the latch pin in locking engagement ready for the next operation. Itis obvious Vthat the form and location of the indicator disk may be varied as well asthcoperative connection, and also that the particular `:mechanism for actuating the rocker shaft and indeed the mechanism for thrusting the drawer open controlled by the set of the indicator disk to correspond with the particular drawer which it is desired to open, may be varied and still come within the scope of the invention, the particular mechanism shown and described being the best format present known to me for accomplishing the result above set forth. `It is intended, however, to have the claims broadly `cover the invention whatever may be the particular embodiment of the invention.

That I claim is,

i. A filing cabinet having a oase, a `plurality of slidable holders arranged in series in said case, a movable ejector, means `tor adjusting said ejector to bring it into operative relation to any one ot the holders desired, a tension device which tends to actuate the ejector to automatically open any of said holders 'For which the ejector is set, a detent for holding the ejector against yielding to the .torce of said tension device, and means for releasing said detentat the will of the operator. i

A iiling cabinet having a case, a plurality of slidable holders arranged in series in said case, an ejectoradjustable `to varying positions, means whereby said ejector may be brought into operative position with relation to any one ol the slides desired, a spring under tension which tends to actuate the ejector to open one ot the slides to which .it is adjusted, latch mechanism which nornially holds the ejector in restraint against being actuated by said spring, and means for releasing said latch.

3. A iiling cabinet having a case, a plurality olslidable holders arranged in series in said case, a rocker shaft journaled within said case and having an ejector lever ajustable thereon to varying positions, whereby saidlever maybe brought into operative position with relation toany one oi' the slides desired, a spring under tension which tends to rock said shatt in a direction to actuate the ejector lever to open one of the slides to which it is adjusted, latch mechanism which normally holds the rocking lever inrestraint against being actuated by said spring, and means tor releasing said latch, said releasing means having operable connection which extends through the wall oi the case into operative position on the exterior of the case. i

l. A tiling cabinet having a case, a `plurality of slidable holders' arranged in series in said case, a rocher shaft journaled within said case and having an ejector lever adjustable thereon to varying positions, whereby said lever may be brought into operative position with relation. to any one of the slides desired,a spring under tension which tends to rock said shaft in a direction to actuatc the ejector lever to open one of the slides to which it is adjusted, latch mechanism which normally holds the rockinglever in restraint against being actuated by said spring, means for releasing said latch, said releasing means having operable connection which extends through `thewall of the case into operative position on the exterior of the case, means connected with said ejector lever inclosed within said case for adjusting said lever with relation to said rocher shaft, and means located on the outerside of the case having operative connection extending into the interior ot.' the case having driving connection with the mechanism for adjusting the ejector lever.

A liling cabinet having a case, a plurality ot slidable holders arranged in series in said case, a rocker shattjournaled within said case and having an ejector lever adjustable thereon to varying positions, whereby said lever may be brought into operative position with relation to any one ol' the slides desired, a spring under `tension which tends to rock said shaft in a direction to actuate the ejector lever to open one `ofthe slides to which it is adjusted, latch mechanism which normally holds the rocking lever in restraint against being actuated by said spring, means ftor releasing said latch, said releasing means having operable connection which eXtei/ids through the wall of the lase into operative position on the exterior ot the case, means connected with said ejector lever inclosed within said case ttor adjusting said lever with relation to said rocker shaft, and incans locatedon the outer side oi the case having operative connection extending into the interior of the case having driving connection with the mechanism for adjusting the ejector lever, a movable indicator actuated b y the mechanism which adjusts the ejector' .and a sight opening in the case through which the indicator can be read, said indicator being graduated in such relation to the adjusting mechanism that the operation of the adjusting` mechanism will cause the indicator to give indication of the position of the ejector lever.

6. A filing cabinet having a case, a plurality of slidableholders arranged in series in said ease, a rocker shaft journaled within said case and having an ejector lever adjustable thereon to varying positions, whereby said lever may be brought into operative position with relation to any one of the slides desired, a spring under tension which tends to rock said shaft in a direction to actuate the ejector lever to open one of the slides to which it is adjusted, latch mechanism which normally holds the rocking lever in restraint against being actuated by said spring, means for releasing said latch, said releasing means consisting of a slidable pin connected with the latch and extending through the wall of the case, a spring which normally holds the latch hook in engagement with a projection on the rocker shaft and which is released by the depression of the pin, said latch having a cam face which permits the projection on the rocker shaft toride back into operative connection with Athe latch hook when the rocker shaft is turned in reverse direction, and said ejector lever being in position to be engaged and rocked in the reverse direction when the slide is'manually pushed into closed position, thereby again locking the slide in its closed position.

V7. A filing cabinet having a case, a plurality of slidable holders arranged in series in said case, a tension actuated ejector'which normally tends to thrust outward one of the holders, means for adjusting said ejector to bring it into operative relation to any one of the slidable holders desired, mea-ns for normally holding the ejector actuating meehansim in restraint, and means for releasing the restraint at the will of the operator.

8. A filing cabinet having a ease, a plurality of slidable holders arranged in series in said case, Ya tension actuated ejector which normally tends to thrust outward one of the holders, means for adjusting said ejector to bring it into operative relation to any one of the slidable holdersV desired, lmeans for normally holding the ejector actuating` mechanism in restraint, and a finger actuated member for releasing the restraint upon the ejector thereby rendering the ejector automatically operative.

. 9. A filing cabinet having a case, a plurality of slidable holders arranged in vertical series in said case, a vertical rotary feed screw inclosed in said case, a follower mounted on said feed screw having threaded connection therewith whereby the rotation of the feed screw` raises and lowers said follower according to the rotation of the direction of the feed screw, an ejector lever mounted in said follower and projecting in the rear of the said holders and which by the rotation of the said feed screw may be brought into operative position with relation to any one of the said holders, a vertical rocker shaft which passes loosely through said ejector lever, said ejector being mounted on said rocker shaft in such manner that it is slidable thereon but rotates therewith, a tension device connected with said rocker shaft and tending to turn the rocker shaft in a direction to swing the ejector forward to thrust one of the said holders into open position, a detent which normally restrains said rocker shaft from turning and a tripping device connected with said detent and projecting to the outside of the case, whereby the operator may release the detent and allow the ejector to be actuated.

10. A filing cabinet having a case, a plurality of slidable holders arranged in vertical series in said case, a vertical rotary feed screw inclosed in said case, a follower mounted on said feed screw having threaded connection therewith whereby the rotation of the feed screw raises and lowers the follower according to the direction of the rotation of the feed screw, an ejector lever mounted on said follower and projecting` in the rear of the said holders and which by the rotation of the said feed screw may be brought into operative position with relation to any one of the said holders, a vertical rocker shaft which passes loosely through said ejector, said ejector being mounted on said rocker shaft in such manner that it is slidable thereon but rotates therewith, a tension device connected with said rocker shaft and tending to turn the rocker shaft in a direction to swing the ejector forward to thrust one of thesaid holders into open position, a detent which normally restrains said rocker shaft from turning, and a tripping device connected with said detent and projecting to the outside of the case whereby the operator may release the detent and allow the ejector to be actuated, a shaft having gear connection with said screw feed and projecting outside of the case, a handle connected with said shaft on the outside of the case whereby the said screw feed may be operated, an indicator disk mounted within the case on said operating shaft, said disk being provided with markings corresponding with the several markings on the slides, and a sight opening in the case, said markings on the indicator disk being so arranged with relation to the series of holders that the marking on the indicator disk which is exposed at the llO sight opening will indicate the particular holder which is in aliiiement with the ejector.

11. A filing cabinet having a case, a plurality of slidable holders arranged in series in said case, a rotary feed screw, means for rotating said feed screw, a follower mounted on said feed screw having threaded connection therewith whereby the rotation of the feed screw raises and lowers the follower according to the direction of rotation of the feed screw, an ejector member mounted on said follower which by the rotation of the said feed screw may be brought into operative position with relation to any one of the said holders, tension means which tends to actuate the ejector to open any one of said holders for vwhich the ejector is set, means for holding said ejector in restraint, and means for releasing said restraint and rendering the ejector operative.

l2. A filing cabinet having a case, a plurality of slidable holders arranged in series in said case, a rotary feed screw, means for rotating said feed screw, a follower mounted on said feed screw having threaded connection therewith whereby the rotation of the feed screw raises and lowers the follower according to the direction of rotation of the feed screw, an ejector member mounted on said follower which by the rotation of the said feed screw may be brought into operative position with relation to any one of the said holders, tension means which tends to actuate the ejector to open any one of said holders for which the ejector is set, means for holding` said ejector in restraint, means for releasing said restraint and rendering the ejector operative, a movable indicator having markings thereon to indicate the different holders, a sight opening in said case through which the various markings on the indicator may be read, and means whereby the actuating mechanism for the feed screw also actuates the said indicator, said operating connections being so timed with relation to each other that the particular marking exposed at the sight opening will correspond with the particular holder which for the time being is in operative relation to the ejector.

13. A filing cabinet having a case, a plurality of slidable holders arranged in series in said case, a rotary feed screw, means for rotating said feed screw, a shaft having gear connection with said feed screw and projecting outside of the case, means connected with said shaft whereby it may be rotated at the will of the operator, a follower mounted on said feed screw having threaded connection therewith whereby the rotation of the feed screw raises and lowers the follower according to the direction of rotation of the feed screw, an ejector member mounted on said follower which by the rotation of the said feed screw may be brought into operative position with relation to any one of the said holders, tension means which tends to actuate the ejector to open any one of ,said holders for which the ejector is set, means for holding said ejector in restraint, and means for releasing said restraint and rendering the ejector operative.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature.

WILLIAM H. OLSON. 

